Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Two weeks ago, we saw a pan-off restored Volkswagen Type 3 Notchback, a car that rekindled my interest in these rare air-cooled VWs. This week we’ll take a look at another restored Notchback, this time from our reader Ben in North Carolina. While not stock, this Notchback has been modified tastefully, with selective accessories that lend a clean, period look. With an extensive record of receipts and photos from the restoration process, this is one Type 3 air-cooled fans won’t want to miss.
At the beginning of the month, we took a look at a restored 1969 Volkswagen Beetle that almost seemed a bit over restored, given this car’s original intention as basic transportation for the people. Now comes along another restored Beetle of similar vintage, this time a 1968 example in Sahara Beige. If the aforementioned Diamond Blue Beetle was a bit over the top for your tastes and OEM is your thing, you’ll want to scope out this Bug.
The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type 34 was a curiosity at the Volkswagen shows I frequented in my youth. In the rare instances I would come across one, I wasn’t sure what to make of this two-door with the same name as the Karmann Ghia Type 14. This was the flagship model for Volkswagen at the time, styled by Sergio Sartorelli, who was also responsible for the design of the Fiat 2300 S Coupe and Fiat 126. Based on the Type 3 chassis with the pancake flat-4 engine, this was the fastest Volkswagen of the time and cost the equivalent of two Beetles. Just over 42,000 examples were produced over nine years, from 1961 through 1969. This example for sale in Washington state isn’t stock, but could be a good starting point for someone looking to return one to stock.
It’s been a little bit since we looked at some nice Karmann Ghias, and today there are two lovely but very different examples in the marketplace. These are lovely designs; granted, not the best driving cars in the world – but a car that really will set you apart from the crowd and will make everyone smile. Of the Karmann Ghias, my favorites are the early “low light” models and the Type 34 from a bit later – luckily, here’s an example of each:
There’s always those cars we wish we would have bought new and then locked away immediately, preserved for a later date for investment purposes or merely to have a new example of a favorite vehicle for use years down the road. If it’s a vintage VW Beetle you crave, few come more out of the wrapper than this 1985 “50 Jahre Käfer” or “50 Years Beetle,” built to celebrate the 50th year of production of the people’s car. This example for sale near Stuttgart, Germany has just over 50 (yes, fifty) miles on the clock and still has the plastic wrappers on the seats. Even a bit of the cosmoline is still apparent underneath. This would certainly be of interest to any Volkswagen dealer seeking to draw in customers to the showroom.
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